Page 37 of Remnants
“—suicide mission,” Dane is saying when I tune back into the conversation.
“There’s nothing more I can do about Reid right now. We need to make sure the Guild members are taken care of, and we need to put security measures in place at the Tower for when they attack. We’ve been lucky that they haven’t done so already, but I’m not counting on that lasting long,” Aiden says, then shifts his attention to include the rest of us. “Everyone living in the Tower is going to be required to start training in three days. We’ll have two groups. The ones who want to and can fight, and the ones who need to learn how to defend themselves to get away somewhere safe. Kellan, you’ll lead the training. I’ll help when I can. And Jack”—Aiden pins Jackson with a look— “you’re going to train everyone on how to use their gifts.Withoutthrowing knives at them or threatening to kill them.”
Jack smirks. “It’s good motivation.”
“They have motivation enough from their fear of GE. You’ve mastered your gift better than any other gifted individual I’ve met. I know you have insights you can share with others.”
He shrugs, the motion modest even though his smirk is dripping with arrogance.
Aiden turns to Dane. “And I need you to build a virus for the Tower.”
Dane frowns. When it clicks why he’d ask for that, Dane sighs and scrubs his hand through his hair. “A virus won’t stop Vera. She can override it.”
“I’m not looking to stop her. I’m just looking to manufacture a warning and opportunity for us,” Aiden explains. “The virus should cause an instant system reboot. That gives us…five to ten minutes with everything shut down, correct?”
Dane nods warily.
“As soon as she accesses the system, it needs to trigger the virus and system reboot. That becomes our warning and gives us time to put ourselves in a better position. We’ll work out the details of setting a trap for them from there, but that’s the first step I need completed as soon as possible.”
“Alright. I’ll start working on that tonight.”
Aiden’s phone pings. He glances at the screen, then looks between Kellan and Jackson. “Groceries are here.”
Kell stands, and they both leave without a word.
“Where are they going?” I ask.
“They have to pick up the food from one of the lower business floors. Non-Guild members can’t access the floors higher than that,” Dane answers first, his foot tapping beneath the table. “Since I can’t be seen, and Aiden’s usually busy, the other two are the ones who bring it up.”
Hopefully, Aiden didn’t order too much for them to bring up. At least there’s an elevator.
Shifting topics, I turn to Aiden. “How’s Cassandra doing?” I’d heard from Jack this morning how she’d stumbled into my room to heal me and the others. I need to find and thank her for it. For healing Dane’s injuries, most of all.
His lips turn down at her name. “It’s hard to say based on the face she’s putting on for everyone. She should be resting in her apartment, but I’ve already heard from Cibrina that she’s at the Guild Hall, helping where she can. The knife was small, thankfully, so it avoided major arteries, but it’s going to take time for her muscles to heal for her to have full use of that arm again.”
Damn. I really like her now. “She sounds dedicated to the Guild,” I comment in her defense.
“Or desperate,” Dane grumbles, and I smack his arm for it. “What?”
“Don’t be a dick,” I chide hotly. “She saved that group of kids in the bunker, and she healed your sorry ass while dealing with her own injury.”
He scoffs, flicking a speck of something off the table. “I know all that. But she should do it because it’s right, not just for the attention. She’s been desperate since day one for a boyfriend.”
“Who cares what her reason is? She’s a great ally, and I’m glad she’s on our side.”
“Tell me that again if she switches teams and starts harassing you non-stop.” Dane’s gaze flicks to Aiden, whose face is carefully blank. “Aiden’s had the worst of it.”
My chest burns at the memory of her hands on them. At the easy way she’d flirted with them and even tried talking Aiden into a date. I only witnessed that one time. But what about all the times before I came around?
You weren’t here then, so it doesn’t matter.
“Well, she’s backed off now,” I try again, facing Aiden for the confirmation that I shouldn’t need after what we’d just done, but I seek it out anyway.
Aiden looks between Dane and me, then sighs tiredly, as if he has absolutely no interest in this conversation. “Yes, she has.”
“From us. Doesn’t mean the other men of the Guild are exempt,” Dane adds, not letting this go.
I know Dane can be an asshole, but she really must have pissed him off at one point. I shrug a shoulder. “You’re all I care about. But if it’s a problem, I could take her out for drinks and dancing. Maybe she’ll find a good dance partner.”
